Men's Football Blog

As usual, the BYU football team held a fireside the night before the game between the Cougars and Notre Dame. A local newspaper, Michigan City News Dispatch, covered the event and featured the fireside in detail. You can read about it by selecting the link below.

BYU Athletics personnel also spoke at a special Notre Dame function on campus Friday night before the game, BYU associate athletic director Duff Tittle, who oversees athletic communications, spoke to the Notre Dame Smokers, a Knights of Columbus council that supports the Fighting Irish. Tittle spoke on the history of BYU and talked about unique connections between BYU and Notre Dame over the years.

One story was of particular interest:

When BYU played its first season of football in 1922, the sport was relatively new to the western United States. In 1923, physical education director Eugene L. Roberts invited legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne to Utah to run a football coaches clinic. Rockne led the Fighting Irish to back-to-back national championships in 1919 and 1920 and was considered one of the country’s great football minds.

Rockne accepted the invitation and traveled to Provo in the summer of 1923 to conduct the first football coaches clinic in the state of Utah. In order to pay Rockne for his services, BYU hired him as a professor for spring term, which means the legendary coach was actually an adjunct faculty member at BYU for a short time.

On July 16, 1923, Rockne sent a letter to Roberts thanking him for his hospitality during his stay in Utah and letting him know he would grade the final papers for the class “just as soon as I get a few minutes to myself.”

Two years later, while searching for a new head football coach, Roberts communicated with Rockne again, this time to get his opinion about C.J. Hart who he was considering for the job.

On July 12, 1925, Rockne sent a reply letter to Roberts saying that Hart “impresses me very favorably.” Rockne also invited Hart and Roberts to “come down to Notre Dame on August 15 for two weeks,” which of course they accepted.

Of that trip to South Bend, Hart related the following, “Coach Roberts and I went east to attend a coaching clinic. We studied two weeks under the famed coach of Notre Dame, Knute Rockne.” Upon returning to Provo, the two BYU coaches introduced a new style of play so distinct to the conference that it became known as the “Roberts-Hart system.”

Photo caption:On the steps of the old BYU Academy building, Knute Rockne, famous coach of Notre Dame, was a teacher at the first football coaches school in the state of Utah, organized by Eugene L. Roberts (front row, far left) during the summer of 1923. Rockne is in the center (front row, fourth from right).

BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy continues to pull in midseason honors, this time named to the SI.com 2012 Midseason All-America Second Team.

Van Noy, a junior, has already been named to several watch lists including the Nagurski, Lombardi and Bednarik Awards along with Phil Steele and CBSSports.com Midseason All-America Second Teams. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder from Reno, Nev. has 7.5 sacks to lead BYU and comes in tied at No. 4 in the nation. He also has 11.5 tackles for loss (T-No. 11 nationally) and has three forced fumbles (T-No. 4).

Always causing trouble in the backfield, over 44 percent of Van Noy's season tackles are behind the line of scrimmage. He has 26 total tackles and adds eight quarterback hurries and five pass breakups.

DALLAS - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced the five winners of the 2012 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards with each recipient selected as the best of the best from their region of the country at the high school level. Joshua Weeks, who signed a national letter of intent with BYU in 2012, is among the five winners who are being recognized solely for their previous accomplishments in high school.

"The NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards honor the absolute finest from the gridiron at the high school level," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "The accomplishments of this year's five honorees clearly place them among the most elite student-athletes in the country. Their contributions both on and off the field set the standard for their peers to follow, and we are extremely proud to highlight their accomplishments on our national stage."

Selected from the 450,000 high school football players covered by the NFF Chapter Network, the five scholar-athletes will be honored for their high school accomplishments during the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon presented by Under Armour Tuesday, December 4, 2012, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. First bestowed in 1991, the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards have become one of the most prestigious high school honors in the country. Criteria for the award include but are not limited to academic achievement, athletic accomplishments and leadership in the community.

JOSHUA WEEKSWest RegionValley of the Sun (Ariz.) Chapter

An extremely productive performer in high school, Weeks earned four letters at Show Low High School while seeing playing time as a quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back. He was three times named an All-State and Max Preps All-American honoree. Weeks participated in the inaugural Semper Fi All-American Bowl in 2011. With career marks of 187 receptions for 3,851 yards and 46 touchdowns, Weeks set multiple state records. He also set Arizona Class AAA single-season records in 2010 by posting 1,561 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.

Weeks recorded a 4.0 GPA with numerous AP and honors courses, which placed him in the top 10 percent of his graduating class. He was a member of Show Low’s Principal 4.0 Honor Roll every semester of his high school career. A National Honor Society member, Weeks was named an All-American in football by the Arizona Coaches Association and the United Dairy Council of Arizona for his academic, personal and athletic excellence.

A Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout, Weeks was a member of Student Council and a Pride Leader. He was a four-year letterman in basketball, where he earned Class AAA All-State Honorable Mention accolades. As a member of the track and field team he set school records in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes. He served as a three-year mentor at a camp for developmentally disabled adults and served as a scholastic mentor for fellow students. Weeks presently attends Brigham Young University.

The 2012 midseason All-America Team in college football, voted on by staff, writers and bloggers from CBSSports.com was announced recently. BYU junior linebacker Kyle Van Noy was recognized with second team honors.

Van Noy has registered 7.5 sacks to lead BYU and rank No. 4 in the nation. His 7.5 sacks in seven games tops his 2011 season total of 7.0. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder also has a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss, good for No. 11 nationally. Van Noy also has eight quarterback hurries, five pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

Oregon State scored off a tipped pass to start the 4th quarter and put them up 28-21. Both teams were forced to punt in the following possessions but the Cougars got the ball back with 11:55 to play and scored a field goal after a 10 play, 69 yard drive. Justin Sorenson kicked the 35-yard field goal.

The Beavers scored two more touchdowns before the end of the game to put the score at 42-24. Their first drive was 5 plays, 77 yards that saw four-straight BYU penalties for a combined 45 yards given up. Oregon State scored their third touchdown of the quarter when Jordan Poyer intercepted a Riley Nelson pass and returned the ball 49 yards into the endzone.

Player Standout
BYU's Jamaal Williams recorded two receptions for 61 yards in the quarter.

Highlights

Williams picked up 30 yards for the Cougars after a pitch from quarterback Riley Nelson. The play right after that Cody Hoffman recorded his 10th reception, a career high, giving him a total of 102 yards. Williams' 30-yard reception and Hoffman's catch set the Cougars up for their 35-yard field goal.

Similar to the first two quarters, Oregon State and BYU each got a touchdown in the third quarter. The Beavers scored on a 10 play, 81 yard drive with Storm Woods running the final 16 yards for the 21-14 lead. The Cougars' Jamaal Williams recorded his second touchdown, a two-yard carry, after BYU's 9 play, 75 yard scoring drive to tie the game at 21-21.

Player Standouts

BYU's Cody Hoffman recorded his ninth reception, tying his career high, to put BYU in scoring position in the third quarter.

BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall, his wife, Holly, and members of the BYU football team will participate in an hour-long devotional Friday at 7 p.m. at the Spanish Fork State Center located at 1006 East 200 South in Spanish Fork.

With both players and coaches involved, speakers at the fireside will talk about the meaning of discipleship and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. A special musical number will be performed by members of the team as well. Messages will focus on how we should seek to follow the Savior’s example in all aspects of our life, and as we do so, we can come to a clear understanding of our purpose here on earth.

The BYU football team has been holding regular firesides throughout the football season since the Cougars’ trip to New Mexico during the 2005 season.

Following is a list of fireside dates and the locations for each fireside during the 2012 season. All firesides are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. local time.

BYU and the National Football Foundation will jointly honor Ty Detmer, a 2012 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Saturday in the Cougars' homecoming game against Oregon State. Below is NFF's release on the event. As part of the homecoming celebration, former BYU players from every decade back to the 1950's will be recognized on the field prior to Detmer's presentation.

DALLAS, Oct. 10, 2012 – Brigham Young University and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor Ty Detmer with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments®, on Oct. 13 in Provo, Utah during the game between BYU and Oregon State. Coverage of the game will start at 1:30 p.m. MT on ABC.

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” said Detmer when it was announced in May that he would be inducted. “At the same time I know that it’s definitely a team effort, and I had a lot of team members around me making my job easy.”

The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program is a hallowed tradition that began with the inaugural class in 1951, and to this day the salutes remain the first of numerous activities in each inductee’s Hall of Fame experience. During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each inductee returns to his alma mater to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many inductees cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and hear the crowd roar their name.

With a Heisman Trophy, a Maxwell Award, two Davey O'Brien Awards and 59 NCAA records, Ty Detmer left BYU as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in college football history. Detmer played quarterback for BYU from 1988-81.

“There aren’t many more accomplished players in the history of college football than Ty Detmer,” said NFF President and CEO Steve Hatchell. “He just about did everything as a Cougar that a college quarterback can do. He is a truly deserving member of the College Football Hall of Fame. It will be a thrill to honor in front of the BYU faithful at LaVell Edwards Stadium.”

Twice named a consensus All-American, Detmer won national player of the year awards from organizations such as UPI, CBS, Scripps Howard and the U.S. Sports Academy. His 15,031 career passing yards and 121 touchdowns were NCAA bests at the time, and the gunslinger still holds nine NCAA records. A three-time First Team All-WAC performer, Detmer led College Football Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards' teams to three conference championships, four bowl games, three AP top 25 finishes, a 28-21 win over top-ranked and defending national champion Miami on Sept. 8, 1990 and a 37-13-2 overall record. The NCAA Today's Top VI Award recipient still holds 10 school records, including the season and career marks for total offense, passing yards and 400-yard games.

Detmer becomes the sixth BYU player to be inducted, following (chronological with year of induction) Gordon Hudson (2009), Steve Young (2001), Jim McMahon (1998), Marc Wilson (1996) and Gifford Nielsen (1994). Coach LaVell Edwards also entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Including the 2012 FBS class, only 918 players and 200 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly five million people who have played or coached the game over the past 144 years. In other words, only two ten thousandths of one percent (.0002) of those who have set foot on the gridiron have earned the distinction. For a complete list of players and coaches in the hall, please visit www.collegefootball.org.

The “Y” Logo being used on BYU's “Blackout” helmets was manufactured under a globally patented and licensed technology called ECODOMES. BYU is the first in the United States to use this technology for football helmets.

ECODOMES are a 3-Dimensional, flexible emblem of incomparable beauty, with complex contours and shapes. The use of unique materials combined with patented fusion technology present durable finishes that are versatile and allow for creative innovation as exhibited on Saturday's “ Blackout” helmets. The retro, mirrored blue, three-dimensional “Y” is on an oval, mirrored pearl essence, white background. Both colors are repeated in the helmets middle strips. This chromed effect along with unlimited finishes, textures and color combinations made ECODOMES a perfect match for the pressure sensitive application.

The name “ECODOMES” highlights the fact that the production process does not involve the use of solvents or resin, making ECODOMES an ecologic friendly process. Environmentally friendly, eye-catching chromed effect, durability, the flexible ability to fit contour shapes are but a few of the reasons why BYU has selected ECODOMES-USA to make Saturday’s “Blackout “ helmet logo. For more information contact Ecodomes.usa@gmail.com

The Athletic Department plans to sell the uniforms with proceeds going back into the football program. The uniforms will first be offered to members of the Cougar Club, followed by the general public if some are still available.

In addition, the BYU Bookstore has created a special ‘blackout’ shirt and other merchandise that is now available at the BYU Bookstore.